CONDITIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF 19th CENTURY •Growing internal economic pressures •300 million Chinese, not enough industry to absorb surplus labor •Scarcity of land, rural discontent •Secret societies, such as the White Lotus and the Triad Society, precursors to rebellious groups that appear in the later on.
WESTERN POWERS ARRIVE •Long history of Western influence; Portuguese, Spanish and French had since competed for dominance in trade 16th century •Jesuit missionaries converted approximately 100,000 •Archaic trade practices restricted commerce with Europeans; confined to city of Guangzhou THE OPIUM WAR: 1839-1842 •West had high demand for tea, opium, silk, porcelain, but Chinese were reluctant to buy Western goods. •After many campaigns restricting the importation of opium, the Chinese government declares an uncompromising prohibition • With the Treaty of Nanking, China lowers its trade barriers, pays a large indemnity, and cedes Hong Kong to the British
THE BOXER REBELLION: 1899-1901 •Resentment of foreigner powers, bad economic conditions and a serious drought provoked rebellion. •A secret society, known as the Fists of Righteous Harmony, attracted thousands of followers. •Foreigners called members of this society "Boxers" because they practiced martial arts. •Goals included the expulsion of Western influence and the deposition of the Ch’ing government, but the crafty empress decided to overtly encourage the rebels to redirect them to fight foreigners. Still, she assured European diplomats that the rebellion would be crushed. •Boxers roamed China, pillaging Christian missions and slaughtering Chinese converts. •Members were deluded to think they had magic powers and that bullets could not harm them. • •Crushed by coalition of British, German, Japanese, Russian, and American forces TRANSITION TO COMMUNISM •Royal family is removed from power in 1911 and the Nationalists take over. •In 1921, the Chinese Communist Party is formed.
• Growing internal economic pressures
• 300 million Chinese, not enough industry to absorb surplus labor
• Scarcity of land, rural discontent
• Secret societies, such as the White Lotus and the Triad Society, precursors to rebellious groups that appear in the later on.
WESTERN POWERS ARRIVE
• Long history of Western influence; Portuguese, Spanish and French had since competed for dominance in trade 16th century
• Jesuit missionaries converted approximately 100,000
• Archaic trade practices restricted commerce with Europeans; confined to city of Guangzhou
THE OPIUM WAR: 1839-1842
• West had high demand for tea, opium, silk, porcelain, but Chinese were reluctant to buy Western goods.
• After many campaigns restricting the importation of opium, the Chinese government declares an uncompromising prohibition
• With the Treaty of Nanking, China lowers its trade barriers, pays a large indemnity, and cedes Hong Kong to the British
THE BOXER REBELLION: 1899-1901
• Resentment of foreigner powers, bad economic conditions and a serious drought provoked rebellion.
• A secret society, known as the Fists of Righteous Harmony, attracted thousands of followers.
• Foreigners called members of this society "Boxers" because they practiced martial arts.
• Goals included the expulsion of Western influence and the deposition of the Ch’ing government, but the crafty empress decided to overtly encourage the rebels to redirect them to fight foreigners. Still, she assured European diplomats that the rebellion would be crushed.
• Boxers roamed China, pillaging Christian missions and slaughtering Chinese converts.
• Members were deluded to think they had magic powers and that bullets could not harm them.
•
• Crushed by coalition of British, German, Japanese, Russian, and American forces
TRANSITION TO COMMUNISM
• Royal family is removed from power in 1911 and the Nationalists take over.
• In 1921, the Chinese Communist Party is formed.